RCC’s Emergency Medical Services program has achieved national accreditation.
Courtesy photo | Robeson Community College
LUMBERTON — Robeson Community College’s Emergency Medical Services program has achieved national accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, CAAHEP.
The accreditation was achieved upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).
“If an organization is accredited, it means you are getting the best education possible, at a national level, meeting national standards,” stated Kenny Locklear, the director of the EMS programs. “This allows our students to test for the National Registry, which means they can go to work anywhere in the United States, and even in some regions overseas.”
The EMS program at Robeson Community College includes an array of programs including an associate degree in emergency medical science and continuing education programs such as COAEMSP, EMT, AEMT Initial, Paramedic-Initial, Community Paramedic, EMT Refresher, AEMT Refresher, Paramedic Refresher and Critical Care Refresher.
“Our students train in state-of-the-art facilities with cutting-edge technology, in a new building that just opened last year, it’s all that a student could want,” Locklear said. “We are the only training program on the eastern seaboard with an EMS simulator. We have the best equipment and the best instructors, who are friendly and put students first to ensure they get the best education possible and are well prepared to go into the workforce.”
“And now, on top of all that, we are Nationally accredited, having met the rigorous standards set by CAAHEP,” Locklear added.
Since receiving the onsite visit from CoAEMSP, Locklear said that enrollment in the program has increased.
“We are looking good for [the] 2023-2024 fiscal year,” Locklear said. “Our EMT and paramedic enrollment has picked up and we expect that to continue.”
Locklear said that it takes a special kind of person to go into emergency medical services.
“It has to be someone who has a desire to help others, who has a passion to help their fellow man,” Locklear said. “They have to be strong-willed, able to work alone, and be able to endure a lot of stress.”
